November 10, 2023
Office of Analysis and Brewing Technology
Sendai Regional Taxation Bureau

1. Outline

(1) Purpose
 The purpose of The Tohoku Sake Awards (Tohoku Seishu Kanpyokai) is to improve further the quality and brewing technique of sake brewers in the Tohoku region under the auspices of the Sendai Regional Taxation Bureau, thereby contributing to the sound development of the sake brewing industry.

(2) Review of 2023
 The Tohoku Sake Awards is annual event that showcases sake brewers possessing the best brewing techniques in Japan, whose high-quality sake has been brewed with great care during the winter, and meticulously managed and matured during summer.
 This year, 148 sake breweries in the Tohoku region's six prefectures entered 143 samples from 125 breweries in the ginjo-shu category, and 134 samples from 118 breweries for the junmai-shu category.
 The ginjo-shu category showcased well-balanced sakes with gorgeous fruity aromas and a smooth, rich taste. In the junmai-shu category, various kinds of ingredient rice were used, and the sakes had rich personality and flavor characterized by acidity and umami.
 Many breweries were damaged when the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011 devastated the Tohoku region, as well as by natural disasters such as large earthquakes and heavy rain after that. It is also difficult to find a brewery that has not been affected by the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
 Despite these, all of the sakes entered in the Sake Awards are of a very high quality and signify the huge progress being that sake breweries in the Tohoku region are making toward recovery as they continue to step up to new heights. We are confident that breweries in the Tohoku region will overcome any difficulties that arise.
 We hope that people who enjoy sake from Tohoku and support the breweries will spread throughout the world, and not just be limited to Japan.

2. Entry

(1) Qualification for entry
 Licensed sake breweries located within the jurisdiction of the Sendai Regional Taxation Bureau (i.e., Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata, and Fukushima prefectures)

(2) Eligible sakes
 Sake from the below-mentioned categories that were produced from the entrant’s own production site located within the jurisdiction of the Sendai Regional Taxation Bureau during the brewing year of 2022.

(3) Categories

• a Ginjo-shu category
  Ginjo-shu as stipulated in the “Labeling Standard for the Manufacturing Process and Quality of Sake” (NTA notice #8, November 22, 1989)
• b Junmai-shu category
  Junmai-shu as stipulated in the “Labeling Standard for the Manufacturing Process and Quality of Sake” (NTA notice #8, November 22, 1989)

(4) Number of entries permitted
 Each licensed sake brewery can submit up to two entries in total for the two categories. The number of entries for one category cannot be more than two.

3. Quality Examinations

(1) Schedule
 -Preliminary examination: October 3-4 (Tues.-Wed.), 2023
 -Final examination: October 6 (Fri.), 2023

(2) Process
 The jurors assess the quality of each sample by sensory evaluation. All examinations are blind and administered by category. In the preliminary examinations, each sample is examined for individual attributes to clarify a sensory profile and overall evaluation is given based on a five-step scoring method. After this preliminary process, the highest scoring entries are selected for the final examination. In the final examination, the chosen sakes are evaluated by a three-step scoring method.

(3) Evaluation policy
Overall quality is determined based on the following style-based categories:
 a Ginjo-shu: well-balanced flavor, characteristic aroma, and delicate taste
 b Junmai-shu: refined flavor with umami (savoriness) and round texture

(4) Quality evaluation jurors
Jurors were selected from a pool of experts, including:
 - Academics in the field of sake brewing
 - Staff members from the National Research Institute of Brewing (NRIB)
 - Staff members from prefectural brewing-related organizations
 - Sake experts and manufacturers recommended by the prefectural sake and shochu makers’ associations of the Tohoku region
 - Technical officers from the Sendai Regional Taxation Bureau

List of Jurors 2023

Abbreviations: GP, Ginjo-shu preliminary ex.; JP, Junmai-shu preliminary ex.; GF, Ginjo-shu final ex.; JF, Junmai-shu final ex.

4. Awards

 Entrants earning high scores in the final examination for each category are awarded an honor prize. The number of recipients of this prize is limited, and only those placing in the top one-third of all entrants in each category are eligible.

 Of the top three rankings for each category, the “Grand Honor Prize” is awarded to those placing first in each category, and the “Special Honor Prize” to those placing second or third.

 Certificates in English and Japanese are then presented to each of the prizewinners by the commissioner of the Sendai Regional Taxation Bureau.

5. Brewing Techniques Workshop

(1) Date
This event is scheduled to be held on November 16 (Thur.), 2023.

(2) Location
This event is scheduled to be located at the 8th floor of the Sendai Joint Government Building A.

(3) Participants
Participants will be limited to sake brewers and technical guidance organization staff in the Tohoku area and jurors of the Tohoku Sake Awards 2023 who register in advance. To avoid overcrowding, the workshop will be divided into two sessions.

6. Statistics

(1) Number of Entries

Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of breweries

(Previous Year)

Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of breweries

(2) Number of Prizewinners (including Grand Honor and Special Honor Prizes)

Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of breweries

(Previous Year)

Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of breweries

7.List of Prizewinners

 In regard solely to entrants awarded the "Grand Honor Prize" and the “Special Honor Prize,” tasting notes by two foreign jurors and some of the Japanese jurors are published.

(1) Ginjo-shu Category

a. Grand Honor Prize

b. Special Honor Prize

c. Honor Prize

JCN indicates Japan Corporate Number

(2) Junmai-shu Category

a. Grand Honor Prize

b. Special Honor Prize

c. Honor Prize

JCN indicates Japan Corporate Number